Disposable absorbent articles provided with an elasticized outer leg cuff are well known. There are a number of ways to form an elasticized outer leg cuff. The most common approach is to form the elasticized outer leg cuff from an elastic member being enclosed in the continuous topsheet and the backsheet which extends beyond the edges of the absorbent core. These elasticized outer leg cuffs provide a gasket cuffing action about the legs of the wearer to maintain a seal about the leg and minimize gapping. A number of attempts have been made to further improve an elasticized outer leg cuff to minimize leakage.
Japanese Patent Laid-open publication H04-12751 published on Jan. 17, 1992 discloses an absorbent article comprising a flexible side flap laterally outwardly extending from the longitudinal side edge of the absorbent core and an elastic material disposed on the side flap. The side flap is folded inwardly toward the absorbent core at a portion between the longitudinal side edge of the absorbent core and the inside edge of the elastic material to form a first folding portion, and is folded laterally outwardly at a portion between the first folding portion and the inside edge of the elastic material to form a second folding portion. The second folding portion is joined to the first folding portion in the crotch region to form a T-shaped cuff. It is stated that the second folding portion provides a seal in the crotch region and a pocket formed by the first folding and the second folding portions contain body exudates. European Patent publication 0 346 477 published on Dec. 20, 1989 discloses a disposable nappy comprising a means arranged on opposite sides in the crotch region to prevent leakage. The means comprises a flexible flap and one or more elastic parts. The flap comprises a support section extending up from the nappy, an inner wing section extending inwardly from the support section, and an outer wing section extending outwardly from the support section, in order to provide a T-shaped cuff. However, these publications provide only a single seal around the wearer's leg for primary leakage prevention of body exudates, but does not provide a means for secondary leakage prevention. Further, while the inner edge of the T-shaped cuff contributes for primary leakage prevention of body exudates by its inwardly oriented shape, primary leakage prevention function of the inner edge of the T-shaped cuff becomes deteriorated as the time passes because the inner edge of the T-shaped cuff is always exposed to the body exudates such that the body exudates touches on the inner edge. As a result, the cuffs disclosed in these publications do not provide sufficient leakage prevention effect over long period of wearing time.
European Patent publication 0 945 111 published on Sep. 29, 1999, European Patent publication 0 978 265 published on Feb. 9, 2000, Japanese Patent Laid-open publication 02-156946 published on Jun. 15, 1990 disclose a diaper having a generally T-shaped barrier leg cuff and an elasticized outer leg cuff. The T-shaped barrier leg cuff provides primary leakage prevention of body exudates and the elasticized outer leg cuff provides secondary leakage prevention. While the inner edge of the T-shaped barrier leg cuff enhances primary leakage prevention, primary leakage prevention function of the inner edge of the T-shaped barrier leg cuff becomes deteriorated as the time passes because the inner edge of the T-shaped barrier leg cuff is always exposed to the body exudates such that the body exudates touches on the inner edge. In addition, the elasticized outer leg cuff merely plainly extends outwardly from the proximal edge of the T-shaped barrier leg cuff. Therefore, a pocket to contain the body exudates overflowed the barrier leg cuff can not be effectively formed by the elasticized outer leg cuff and the barrier leg cuff.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a disposable absorbent article comprising a barrier leg cuff and an elasticized outer leg cuff comprising a base and a gasket cuff supported by the base. There is also a need for a disposable absorbent article comprising a barrier leg cuff disposed inboard of a gasketing cuff to effectively form a pocket by a gasketing cuff and a barrier leg cuff.